Beginning Songs for the Irish Tenor Banjo

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Irish Tenor Banjo

Join This Group

Just so I know I'm not the only one out there.. Stand up and be counted!

130 Members, Created 2/1/2011 -

Administrators: chrisblack (owner)

< Back to Home

From Primaris on 12/31/2013 10:25:39 AM

Hey guys,

I posted this same topic in the main forum, but thought it would also be relevant to have in this group, and could be a good reference to go back to.

I posted this same topic in 2011 sometime, but the forum has since purged it. I recently lost my computer (it died on me) and with it my collection (albeit small collection) of tabs. I asked you guys for some good songs to play for a beginning tenor banjo player, and you guys had some awesome suggestions. I recently picked up my banjo again after like a year of it sitting, and would love to start playing them again. I can hear them in my head but I cannot remember the names for the life of me. Any suggestions you have for some good tunes would be greatly appreciated. A few songs that I was able to remember off the top of my head include: Ten Penny Bit, Darby the Driver, and Maid Behind the Bar.

Thanks again!

- Derek

3 Comments
	captbanjo says: 5/29/2014 1:32:48 PM Hornpipes seem easiest to me. The Harvest Home and Boys From Blue Hill are two good ones. Two jigs might be My Darling Asleep and The Kesh. For reels, maybe The Silver Spear and Cooley's.
	DrAJ says: 1/6/2015 2:26:47 PM One of my first was The Hut on Staffin Island, which is a relatively slow reel with a range that keeps the player in first position throughout.
	crazyace says: 1/8/2015 1:46:29 PM here are sets of tunes we play in our sessions 1. Off to California, Boy's of Blue Hill. Harvest Home. 2. Over the Waterfall, Staten Island, Jenny Lind Polka. 3. La-Russe, Winster Gallop, Salmon Tails up the Water 4. Planxty Irwin, Planxty Fanny Power. 5. East Neuk of Fife, Trumpet Hornpipe, Rickets Hornpipe. 6. Irish Washerwoman, Blackthorn Stick, Father O'Flynn. 7. Mairi's Wedding, Egans Polka, John Ryans Polka. 8. The Friendly Visit, Steam-Boat, Navvie on the Line. 9. Bonny Banchory, White Cockade, Flowers of Edinburgh. 10. Boyne Hunt, St. Anne's Reel, The Maid Behind the Bar. 11. Speed the plough, Davy Knick Knack, Keel Row. 12. Oyster Girl, Dingle Regatta. 13. Rakes of Mallow, Soldiers Joy 14. O'Carolan's Concerto, 15. Sir Sidney Smiths March 16. King of the fairies.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

	New tenor Linked by joemac 8 years ago: Peg head
	Resonator Linked by joemac 8 years ago: Ford tenor
	Barry Ford tenor Linked by joemac 8 years ago: New Ford custom tenor.
	Maid Behind the Bar (reel) Linked by Tom Hanway 8 years ago
Blog Entry: Traditional Irish and Celtic Tunes in the Public Domain Linked by Tom Hanway 9 years ago: Irish and Celtic Tunes for 5-String Banjo Materials by Tom Hanway
	"Bag of Spuds" Reel Linked by robmac07 10 years ago
Tablature: All Through the Night (Ar Hyd y Nos) 4th Variation Linked by Tom Hanway 10 years ago: In memory of Bill Keith, here is a lovely Welsh air in Celtic fingerstyle that can be played as a Christmas tune.
Blog Entry: What is the 'Celtic' in Folk Music Culture? Linked by Tom Hanway 10 years ago: Today, use of either English or French symbolises social and material success while use of a living Celtic language symbolises powerlessness, backwardness or clannishness.
	Gold Tone Short Scale Tenor Banjo, SS250 resonator, built by Andy Perkins Linked by larryalen 10 years ago
Tablature: Music for a Found Harmonium (PCO standard version) Linked by Tom Hanway 10 years ago: Here's a snapshot standard arrangement that matches my tab of the same tune based on the original Penguin Cafe Orchestra version.